Joe Maddon takes the Tampa Bay Rays to the World Series in October and is named American League Manager of the Year. Lou Piniella's Cubs get swept in three games by the Dodgers and the North Siders' skipper is named National League Manager of the Year. What's wrong with this picture?
Shouldn't Charlie Manuel, who guided the Philadelphia Phillies, to the team's second World Series title, have been named NL manager of the year? Piniella took the Cubs to the playoffs for the second straight year and the team got swept for the second straight year, leaving Cubs' fans with the same plaint: Wait until next year.
The Hound says this latest award, Piniella's third --- he won with the Seattle Mariners in '95 and '01 --- certainly isn't for raising the Cubs' level of play in the post-season. Surely, Piniella didn't lobby for it, did he?
Manuel just got the shaft from the baseball writers and Phillies' fans in the City of Brotherly Love should be irate. The Hound is a Cubs fan and is irate at this snub for a job well done by Manuel's labor.
manager of the year means manager of the year, not manager of the post season. Get it?
THE HOUND SEZ: Sure, Louie, Louie. Keeping telling yourself that and you'll believe it. Perhaps that's why you're donating your $100,000 bonus for being named manager of the year to charity. A little guilty, eh?
Post season or not, Piniella has now lead the Cubs to 9 straight post season losses. There's no honor in NL manager of year for that. The Phillies coach didn't just get the shaft, so did Joe Torre of LA and Terry Francona of Boston. Each of them put a team together a team that not only over came adversity, but made it PAST the first round of playoffs. ESPICALLY Joe Torre who in my opinion vouched for Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake who helped push the team to a NLDS series sweep over the 1st place Cubs. Piniella and the Cubs are not deserving of this award in any way shape of form. If any award is to be given to the Cubs it would be the most disappointing or under performing team in the post season. Soto deserved his NL Rookie of the year, congratulations to him. But as for the cubs as a team, who did not win a single playoff game in 9 straight with the same players practically, is embarrassing not only to a Cubs fan, but as a baseball fan as well.
THE HOUND SEZ: Mr. Ed, you are correct, sir!